Machine for making straw bottle-covers.



Patented Feb. 4, I902.

M," VAN DEN H EUV EL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING STRAW BOTTLE COVERS.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1900.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Feb. 4, I902.

M. VAN DEN HEUV EL. MACHINE FOR MAKING STRAW BOTTLE COVERS.

(Application filed. Nov. 6, 1900.)

5 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

Pa r

co. mom-111110., wnswlnomu. 0. cv

No. 692,662. Patented Feb. 4, I902.v

M. VAN DEN HEUVEL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING STRAW BOTTLE COVERS.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1900. (No Model.) 5Sheets8heet 3.

Wifruz 5 se 5 Tm: wlms PETERS co. PHOTO LITNO WASHINGTON D c.

Patented Feb. 4, I902.

M. VAN DEN HEUVEL. MACHINE FOB MAK|NG;STRAW*BOTTLE COVERS.

(Application flled. Nov. 6, 1900.) (No Model.) 5 Sheet-Sheet 4.

. l 1 IIII'IIIIIIII'IIII. I-KIIlllllllllllllllllll-Ill/r1111 Wz'lfiesses jauentzzr aw kw THE spams rzrzns 00,. mowumm, wnsnmmu. n. c.

No. 692,662. Patna ad Feb. 4, I902. M. VAN DEN HEUVEL. 2.

MACHINE FOR MAKING STBAW BOTTLE COVERS.

I (Application filed Nov. 6, QLQOO.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheetw-Sh'eet 5.

- llllli NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MATIIIAS VAN DEN HEUVEL, OF GANGELT, NEAR GEILENKIRCIIEN, GERMANY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING, STRAW BOTTLE-COVERS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N0. 692,662, dated February 4, 1902. Application filed November 6,1900. Serial No. 35,665. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHIAS VAN DEN HEU- VEL, manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Gangelt, near Geilenkirchen, in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Straw Bottle-Covers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to amaohine so constructed as to overcome all drawbacks and imperfections known on other machines eX istingin other wogds, to create 'an exceedingly effective machine for the production of straw bottle-covers which without any temporary stoppage of the operating-shaft will work continuously and automatically'i. e., will automatically transport a previouslyprepared straw mat or layer of straws to the sewing apparatus, sew the same, and simultaneously form the straw mat into a cylindrical cover and sew the same in such a manner that the sewing cannot come undone, and finally automatically effect the cutting off of the sewing-thread after having finished sewing the cover, thereby rendering it free to be drawn from the cylinder upon which it was formed.

The machines at present in use or intended forthe manufacture of straw envelops or cases all suffer from several drawbacks and imperfections. The variousoperationssuch as the coupling and uncoupling of the driving parts, the transport device, the sewing apparatus, the devices for cutting and seizing the thread, and forming the sleeve-like cover-have all to be attended to more or less by hand.

It is an important feature of myinvention that the operator attending the machine is employed only with the preparation of the straw mats by doubling them before they are sewed. In consequence of such a saving of manual labor the output of such a machine is very great, for while one straw mat is being sewed andformed into a cylinder the operator prepares the straw for the next cover 2'. 8., folds the straws and places them in the maehinewhile during the transport of the straw mat thus placed in position toward the sewing device he draws the fullysewed cover Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sections on the line A B of Fig. 2, showing the straw-folding device in its various working positions, While Fig. 7 shows thetongs device for transporting the straw mats. Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 illustrate the interior arrangement of the cylinder employed in'the circular sewing of the covers and represent various working positions of the parts. Fig. 12 refers to a detail of the scissors X on the thread-grippers for cutting the thread when a straw envelop is finished. Figs. 13, 14, and 15 show in elevation, plan view, and cross-section, on line C D, Fig. 14, respectively, the thread-reels and their brake devices as employed in the present machine.

The construction and operation of the machine are as follows:

On a machine-frame 1,'of metal or wood, is horizontally arranged an operating shaft' 2, driven either by hand orpower. At one end of the shaft is keyed an eccentric 3, which actuates by means of a pawl-tooth 4 a toothed wheel 5, and keyed at the end of a horizontally-arranged auxiliary shaft 7 and provided with a spring-controlled pawl 6 to prevent any movement of the said wheel 5 in a reverse direction. keyed ata suitable distance from each other On this auxiliary shaft 7 are also two chain-wheels 8 8, gearing, by means of a chain 9,with other chain-wheels 10,rotatably mounted at the other end of the machine. The endless chains 9 are provided in known manner with spikes or projections 11, directed upward and placed at suitable intervals, the spikes beingintended to engage the straws composing the mat and to carry the mat forward as thechain moves along. halves of the chains move between a kind of grating arranged on the frame of the machine and consisting of a numberof longitudinally- The upper arranged rails 12, supported upon the crossstrip 12,secured to the standards 12,mounted on the frame of the machine and on which the previously-prepared straws are placed and move forward toward the sewing-cylinder. The grating is provided with a resser-frame 13, which turns on hinges 13, secured to one of the strips 12, and can be closed down on the previously-prepared straws placed on the grating-i. e., on the conveying or transporting chains 9, as shown in Fig. 1. The frame 13 presses the straws against the spikes 11 of the chains and comprise a rigid upper section and spring-pressed lower section, the latterbeing slidably connected to the upper section by the bolts 13, each carrying a coiled tension-spring 13. (See Fig. l.) The frame 13 is supported when raised and turned back against an uprightrail15, secured to one side of the frame of the machine. By actuating the operating-shaft 2 the chain 9,carrying the straw mat,is intermittently moved forward-by means of the pawl 4, actuated by the eccentric 3, and the wheels until the mat passes undera spring-frame 16,fixedly arranged on the frame 12. The object of the frame 16 is to guide and introduce the straw mat exactly below the cylinder 17, around which the matis sewed as soon as its forward end reaches the perpendieular central plane of the cylinder. This effect is produced in the following manner: The outer face of the wheel 5 is provided with a semicircular projection orcam l8,made of,say, asuitably-bent angle-iron, which cam-surface ceases to be in contact with a guide-roller 19 the moment the straw mat has reached the vertical plane of the cylinder, after which the said roller 19 moves on the plane face of the wheel 5. The guide-roller 19 is arranged at the upper free end of a lever 21, pivoted at 20 on the machine-frame. The lower end of this lever 21 is connected at 22 with a bar 23, which at 24 communicates with a spring-controlled lever 25, pivoted at a point 26 on the machine-frame and intended to act as an uncoupling device. This device is in gear with a groove in a sleeve 27, mounted on the driving-shaft 2, so as to rotate with it while being axially displaceable on it. This sleeve 27 carries on its inner face a pin 28, adapted to enter a hole in a needleoperating eccentric 29,loosely mounted on the operating-shaft, which eccentric 29 thus participates in the rotation, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, during the time the guide-roller 19 travels on the plane face of the wheel 5. This will last until the straw mat has been sewed all around, three or more stitches being added beyond the point where the two ends of the mat meet. At the same moment that this is accomplished the roller 19 meets the projecting surface 18, and being deflected by it the sleeve 27 is disengaged from the eccentric 29 by the action of the coupling-lever 25, bar 23, and lever 21, in consequence of which the needle-eccentric will remain stationary until the roller 19 has again left the cam 18 and reached the plane surface of the wheel 5.

The needle-eccentric 29 is articulated at 30 to a frame 31, vertically guided in the machine-frame 1. This frame carries the required number of the barbed needles 33, fixed to the upper cross-rail 32 of the frame 31. The number of needles corresponds to the number of lines of stitches in the straw covers. The needles 33 pass through orifices 34, Figs. 8 and 10, in the sewing-cylinder 17, above which the sewing-thread is held under tension below the limit of upward movement of the needles. This tension of the thread is effected by means of thread-guides 35, fixed on a rail 36, longitudinally displaceable in the cylinder 17, while the ends of the thread are held by thread-grippers 37, Figs. 8 and 9. The rail 36 is provided at its end with a pin 38, engaged by a fork 39, forming the upper end of a lever 41, pivoted at 40 on the machine-frame. The lower end of this lever 41 is also forked and engages a pin 42 on a bar 43, horizontally mounted in the machineframe. The other end of this bar 43 is provided with a guide-roller 46, engaging a camgroove 44 in a sleeve 45. The latter is fixedly connected with the needle-eccentric 29 and is also loosely arranged on the operating-shaft 2, in consequence of which the two devices move together. The reciprocation of the bar 47, carrying the thread-grippers 37, which bar is also horizontally movable within the cylinder 17, is secured at the right moment by an arrangement according to which the end 48, Figs. 2 and 3, of the bar 47 is articulated to a lever 49, the free end of which is provided with a guide-roller 50, constantly pressed against a cam'disk 52, keyed on the auxiliary shaft 7, Figs. 2 and 3, by a spring 51, one end of which is connected with the lever 49, while the otherend is secured to the machine-frame.

The thread-grippers 37 consist of jaws 53, fixedly arranged on the bar 47, and movable jaws 55, controlled by springs 54. The movable jaw 55 of each gripper terminates in a curved lever or tail 56,whicl1 when the threadgripper moves toward the thread 57 slides against a pin 58, in consequence of which the gripper opens and surrounds the thread and closes on it when the end of the lever leaves the pin 58. During the reverse movement of the bar 47 the thread-grippers 37 and the curved tails 56 of the movable jaws 55 pass over the pins 58, which yield in this direction, and the pincers remain closed until the sewing of another circular envelop is finished, when the sewing-thread is cut by the knife X, Fig. 12, while the end of the thread itself is securely hold for the purpose of serving to sew the next envelop. The pins 58 are controlled by or mounted on springs and return to their vertical position as soon as the gripper-tails 56 have passed over them, Figs. 8, 9, l0, and 11.

In order to insure the straw mat being wrapped around the cylinder 17 during the sewing operation, the following means have been devised: On the auxiliary shaft 7 is keyed a. partially-toothedwheel v5.9, gearing with thelower series of teeth 60 on a rack bar 62, horizontally movable in the machineframe and drawn toward the left by a spring 61. An upper seriesof teeth 63 onthe same bar 62 gears with a similarly-construoted wheel v a roller 68, arranged on the grating,'over ana other roller 69, and thence several times aroundadrum 70, Figs. land 2, keyed on the auxiliary shaft 7 and provided with grooves 71, arranged in the manner of a screw-thread, into which the rope enters, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The rollers69 are arranged at the freeend of a lever 72, pivoted at 73 to the machine- .frame and weighted by weights 74 for the purpose of keeping the cord 'or rope 7 5 in a stateof constant tension. At the moment when the straw mat about to be sewed reaches the cy1inder17 the movement of the toothed bar 62 begins, the teeth of the partiallytoothed wheel 59 being at that moment in gear with it. -'The toothed wheelfitis thus involved in the movement, and the arched arms 66 gradually place themselves, together with their guiding-cord7 5, over the cylinder 17, while the w'ei'ghtedlever 72 is raised, in consequence of which the portioniof the straw envelop already sewed'iswrapped around the cylinder as it travels forward under the. cylinder, Fig. 1, As soon as the straw mat covers the whole cylinder and a few more stitches are given the engagementofthe teeth of the wheel 59 with the rack-bar 62 ceases. The rack-bar 62 becoming free is drawn back in the direction indicated by the arrow 1 by the spring 61, the wheel 64 participating in the movement, in consequence of which the arms 66revert to their original position (indicated by the dotted'lines in Fig.1) and the cord occupies the position indicated by the dotted lines under the influence of the weighted lever 72.

y In order to insure that the sewing thread 57 is always drawn from thebobbins wand,

to prevent the formation of knotsor breaking of the thread, a thread-guiding device has been devised for this machine consist ing of a reel 7 8, loosely mounted on a shaft forming thus a kind of loop, and is thence passed through several guides suitably arranged on the machine-frame to the sewingcylinder 17, Figs. 1, 2, 13, and 15. There are as many of these devices arranged on thema- The thread 57.

I The sewing-thread 57 passes once around the reel 78,

chine as there are sewing-threads or lines of stitching in the covers.

The preparation andfolding of the material for the straw mats are effected in the'following manner: At the front end of the machine is a work-table 84, having at its side a plate 86, provided. with alongitudinal slot in which is fixed anadjustable upright or block 87. On the table is arranged ahorizontally-movable plate 89,"provided with an undercut recess 88, which'plate is adapted to be moved by'a bell-crank lever 90, pivotally mounted on the machine-frame 1.- This bellcranklev'er is" movably connected at one end to the plate 89 and at the other end to a rod 91, extendingdow'nward. The lower end of this rod is hinged to a treadle 92, suitably mounted on the machine-frame and connected with a spring 93,-which tends-to maintain it in'a raised position. Close by the side of the plate 89 is a rail95, providedwith a handle and capable of being secured at the other end by engaging aslot 96 thereinunder the head of a peg 97, the front end being secured by means of hooks or catches 98 and 99, of which'the'first is fixedly arranged on the operating-table and the latter "articulated on the same and maintained by a springunder it parallel to the hook 98. By the side of the rail-'95 is a long groove 101 in the-table,intended to receive the shank 102 of a'tongsshaped straw-holder. The other'shank- 104 also provided with a handle 103, has at its end a slot105, intended to receive a locking-catch 106, hinged to the end of the'other shank 102,

whereby the holder c'anjbe looked, Fig.7.

The'working of this portion of the machine and the method of working and attending the machine'in general may be "described as follows: The straws cut to the lengthrequired are "placed and spread out across the table 8.4,

"their ends being placed against the upright 87 inorder to keep them uniform and fix the proper'leng'threlatively to theffolding-plate 89. The rail is next fastened down upon them by placing its-slot under the head of the pin 97,in consequenceof which the bending the straws in half and folding one half over. the other'yFigs. 5 and 6, after which the plate 89,the bell-crankilever 90, connecting-rod 91, and treadle 92 return to their original position under the action of the spring 93. The lower shank 102 of the tongs-shaped holder is now inserted in the longitudinal groove 101 under-the straws, the other shank 104 being kept open or upright, after which the latter can be closeddown over the-straws and the locking device 106 of the shank pressed into the corresponding recess of the shank104, in consequence of which the straws frame 13 is then closed, and by a slight pressure on the handles of the holder the looking device 106 will become free automatically, since the elasticity of the straws held between the shanks and tending to separate them is counteracted by such pressure. The holder can now be withdrawn, and the straw mat is now on the transport device of the machine. The chains, having an intermittent motion produced by the eccentric 3, pawl 4:, wheel 5, and the auxiliary shaft '7, carry the straw under the spring-controlled frame 16, which guides the straw to the sewing-cylinder. When the front edge of the straw mat arrives under this cylinder, the guiding-roller 19, traveling on the cam projection 18 of the wheel 5,leaves the same,whereupon the clutch device 21 23 25 of the needle-eccentric is operated, in consequence of which the coupling of the needle-eccentric with the operatingshaft is effected, thereby producing the vertical reciprocating movement of the needles, by which the sewing of the cases is obtained. The sewing process is accomplished by the known chain-stitch formation,while the straw mat under the influence of the endless cord 75 and the arched guide 66, actuated thereby, travels around the cylinderuntilthe ends meet or overlap, after which a few more stitches are made with a View of preventing any unloosening of the thread. In order to provide the straw sleeve after being finished with further stitches, only those parts of the machine which operate the needle-eccentric must receive the peculiar form, so as to lengthen the sewing operation according to the number of stitches to be made. Therefore only the part 18 of the ratchet-wheel 5 must be accordingly made longer or shorter. This being done, the bar 47 of the sewing-cylinder is moved, the thread-grippers are opened, while on the return movements of the bars t7 the said grippers will firmly hold" the sewing-thread, while the knives arranged below the grippers cut the thread of the finished envelop. The knives 00 come into action on the closing of the thread-grippers 37t'. 6., at the end of the finishing of a straw sleeve. By cutting off the thread of the finished sleeve and closing the thread-grippers the end of the thread is held for the next sleeve until some stitches are sewed,whereuponbyashort movement of the lever actuating upon the grippers the latter are slightly loosened, thereby loosening the threads until the sleeve is almost finished. By a repeated movement of the rod 47 and under influence of the springlever 58 the thread-grippers will advance in an openposition toward the threads, grip the latter, and upon the return of the rod 47 cut off the threads and hold the endsof the threads remaining in the machine until again some stitches are made in the next straw sleeve. During the sewing operation, therefore, the thread is not held by the grippers, but only at the beginning of the sewing process and at the end of the latteril. e., at the beginning the thread is held until some stitches are formed, and at the end itis caught for the purpose of being cut off and held tight for the next straw mat to be sewed. Durin this sewing operation the attendant prepares the straw for the next cover to be made by the machine, and while this is traveling toward the sewing-cylinder he has time to draw the finished envelop from the cylinder. At the same moment at which the sewing is terminated the guide-roller 19 again ascends the cam projection 18 of the wheel 5, whereupon the clutch device for the needle-eccentric is again actuated, in consequence of which the sewing stops until the next layer of straw has reached the lowest point of the sewingcylinder, at which moment the guide-roller 19 again leaves the cam projection 18, and so on.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a machine of the kind described means for guiding the straws while being sewed around the sewing-cylinder comprising movable arched guides an endless cord or rope kept taut by a suitably-arranged weight, said guides being mounted on a rock-shaft, provided with a partially-toothed gear-wheel, adapted to engage an upper series of teeth on a double rack-bar, the lower series of teeth of which gear with a second partially-toothed wheel keyed on the auxiliary shaft the gearing being so arranged that the rack-bar is withdrawn to its initial position by a spring the moment it ceases to gear with the wheel on the auxiliary shaft, in consequence of which the other gear-wheel and the guides are returned to their initial position, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing-cylinder, means for conveying the cover-blanks to said cylinder, mechanism for sewing the cover blanks, means for guiding the sewed blanks around said cylinder, means for automatically operating said guide means, means for cutting the thread when the cover has been formed,means for automatically and intermittently operating said sewing mechanism, and means for intermittently operating the said conveying means.

3. In a machine for manufacturing straw bott1e-covers,sewin g mechanism for the coverblanks, a pair of arched arms for guiding the blanks while being s'ewed, means for automatically operating said arms, means for conveyingthe cover-blan ks to said sewing mechan'isin, apresser-fiame engaging the coverblanks upon the conveying means, operating means for said sewing mechanism, and oper,

ating means for said'conve'ying means.

4. 111 a machine for manufacturing straw bottIe-covers,'a' sewingcylinder, a longitudi nal'reciprocating bar'mounted'therein, guidepi'ns for the thread'mountedon said bar, nee 'dles Operating in said cylinder, needle-levers,

operating means therefor, means for convey: ing cover-blanks to said cylinder, a pair of arched arms surrounding said'cylinder' for guiding the sewed blank, means for automati'cally operating said arms, a presser-frame engaging the blanksupon said'conveyer, and

operating'means for said .cohveyer.

' 5. In combination, in a machine-of the char; acter described, a sewing-cylinder, a needlethread looper, means for automatically and intermittentlyoperatingsaidlooper,means for cutting and gripping the sewing-thread, means for automatically and intermittently'operatinggsaid cutting and gripping means, sewing mechanism, operating means therefor, means for conveying the covenblanks to the'sewingcylinder to be sewed,means for intermittently operating the same, a pair of arched arms for guiding the sewed cover around the sewingcylinder, and means for automatically moving said arms into and out of operative position.

G. In combination, in a machine of the character described, a sewing-cylinder, a needlethread looper, means for automatically and intermittently operating said looper, means for cutting and gripping the sewing-thread, means for automatically and intermittently operating said cuttingand gripping means, sewing mechanism, operating means therefor, means for conveying the cover-blanks to the sewingcylinder to be sewed, a pressure device for causing the blanks to engage the conveying means, means for intermittently operating the same, a pair of arched arms for guiding the sewed cover around the sewing-cylinder,

and means for automatically moving said armsinto and out of operative position.

7. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing-cylinder, means for conveying the cover-blanks tosaid cylinder, i

mechanism for sewing the cover blanks, means for guiding the sewed blanks around said cylinder, means for automatically moving said guide means into operative position, means for automatically moving said guide means to inoperative position, means for antomatically and intermittently operating said sewing mechanism, and means for intermittently operating said conveying means.

8. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing-cylinder, means for conveying the cover-blanks to said cylinder,

a pressure device for causing the blanks to engage the conveying means, mechanism for sewing the cover blanks, means for guiding the sewed blanks around the cylinder, means for automatically moving said guide means to operative position, means for automaticv ally moving said guide means to inoperative position, means for cutting the thread when the cover has been formed, means for antomatically'and intermittently operating said sewing mechanism, and means for intermittently operating said conveying means.

V 9. In combination in a machine ofthe character described, a sew.ing-cy1inder, a needlethread looper, means forcutting and gripping the sewing-thread, sewing mechanism, means for conveying the cover-.blan ks to the sewingcylinder to be sewed, a pressure-frame engaging the blanks upon the conveying means,

a pair ofarched arms for guiding the sewed cover around the sewing-cylinder, means for automatically moving saidarms to operative position, means for automatically moving "said arms to inoperative position, and means for automatically operating said. conveying means. 7

10. In combination in a machine of the character described, a sewing-cylinder, an automatically-operating needle thread looper mechanism, an automatically-operating cutting and gripping mechanism for the sewingthre'ad, an automatically-operatingsewing mechanism, an automatically-operating conveying mechanism for presenting the coverblanks to the sewing-cylinder to be sewedp'a presser-frame engaging the blanks upon the conveying. means, an automatically and intermittent-1y operating means for guiding the sewed'cover around the sewing-cylinder, automatically-operating means for moving said guide means into operative position, and an ,automatically-operated means engaging the said guide means for moving the latterinto inoperative position.

1].. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing-cylinder, an endless conveyer for feeding the cover-blanks to said cylinder, mechanism for sewing the coverblanks, means for guiding thesewed blanks around said cylinder,means for automatically moving said guide means into operative position, means for automatically moving said guidemeans into inoperative position, means for operating said guide means, means for'intermittently operating said sewing mechanism, and means for intermittently operating said conveyer. I

12. In a machine of the character described,

a sewing-cylinder, means for feeding the cover-blanks thereto, a sewing mechanism'for the covenblan ks, means for guiding the sewed blanks around said cylinder, a spring-return .bar engaging with the said guide means for automatically and intermittently operating the latter to bring the same into operative position, means engaging with the said guide means for moving the same int-o inoperative position after the said guide means hasbeen IIO operated by the said spring-return bar, and

means for intermittently operating said feeding means.

13. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing mechanism, a sewingcylinder, means for feeding the blanks to the sewing mechanism, means for guiding the blanks around the sewing-cylinder, means engaging with the said guide means for moving the same into operative'position, means engaging with said guide means for moving the same to inoperative position, a main shaft, and separate connections between the main shaft, sewing mechanism, guide-operating means therefor and feed means for automatically and intermittently operating them.

14. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottle-covers, a sewing-cylinder, sewing mechanism, means for feeding the cover-blanks to the sewing mechanism, means for causing the engagement of the cover-blanks with the feeding means, means forguiding the sewed blank around the cylinder, an automaticallyand intermittently operating bar engaging with the guide means for moving the latter into operative position, means engaging with the guide means for moving the same into inoperative position, means for automatically and intermittently operating said sewing mechanism, and means for automatically and intermittently operating said conveying means.

15. In a machine for manufacturing straw bottlecovers,a sewing-cylinder, a sewing mechanism, means for feeding the coverblanks to said mechanism, means for causing the cover-blanks to engage with the feeding means, means for guiding the sewed cover around said cylinder, means for cutting the thread when the cover has been formed, an automatically and intermittently operating barengaging with the said guide means for moving the same into operative position, means engaging with the guide means for moving the same into inoperative position, means for automatically operating said cutting means, means for automatically operating said sewing mechanism, and means for automatically and intermittently operating said conveying means.

16. In amachine of the characterdescribed, a sewing mechanism, means for feeding coverblanks thereto, a pair of arched arms for guiding the blank while being sewed, a springreturn bar engaging with the arched bars for automatically andintermittently moving the same into operative position, means engaging with the bars and moving the same into inoperative position, mechanism for operating said spring-return bar, mechanism for operating said sewing mechanism, and means for suitably operating said feeding means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATIIIAS VAN DEN HEUVEL.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM EssENwEIN, PETER LIEBER. 

